Broken Fragments
by Ari Moriarty
Summary: A collection of one-shots and companion pieces surrounding the characters and events of my story "What Cannot Be Broken."
1. Femme Fatale

**Author's Note: **This is sort of an AU, for readers of "What Cannot Be Broken." That story does not pair Minako and Yosuke together romantically, but what if it did? This is an alternate, Yosuke x Minako take on what could have happened during the stay at the Amagi Inn. Inspired by **Maudlin Blase! **

**Femme Fatale**

Yosuke was just coming back from the hot springs, shaking his head in disappointment, w hen he saw Minako standing in the hallway. She looked dazed and uncertain, glancing back occasionally over her shoulder at the room where Akihiko-san and Junpei were supposed to be staying. Yosuke knew that Junpei was still relaxing in the springs with Ken, and so he could only assume that Akihiko was alone. Perhaps Minako had just been alone with him as well.

As he got closer, Yosuke could hear Minako whispering something to herself, apparently unaware that there was anyone else around to hear. "It's not fair," she was saying. "If only there hadn't been so much time for him to forget…"

Time for him to forget? What was that all about? Yosuke didn't understand these strange people that Junpei had introduced him to. According to Chie and Yukiko, Junpei's friends had spent all night running around, going back and forth from each other's rooms. It wasn't just a party, it was turning into some kind of bizarre emotional orgy. Was this, wondered Yosuke, what growing up was all about? He hoped to god that wasn't the case.

Then, to Yosuke's alarm, Minako sunk down on to the floor, hunched in on herself, and began to cry. It wasn't messy crying, with big, sloppy tears and loud sobs. Instead, she was somehow crying her heart out without managing to make any noise t all. It was even more disturbing than a loud fit of sadness would have been, and for a moment, Yosuke lost track of his mission. He forgot that he was supposed to be stealthy and discreet, forgot that no one was supposed to know he was here. Instead, kindness kicked in and told him to go and be a man about it.

"Hey, hey," he said, coming to stand by Minako's side. "What's up? Hey, stop crying, you're going to make yourself sick."

There was a clean handkerchief in his pocket that he'd intended to use for cleaning up at Junes. He offered it to Minako, and she accepted it, turning her face away while she dabbed at her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "You said you didn't believe me."

"Um." That was a difficult question. While Yosuke tried to figure out exactly what lie to tell, he saw the surprise begin to turn into anger in Minako's eyes.

"You're spying on us, aren't you?" she accused him. "There's nothing for you to see here! I told you, they don't know anything about it! I'm the only one."

"Well, uh." Yosuke wanted to kick himself. He'd blown his own cover, and now he wasn't sure what to do. "When you couldn't get into the TV, I thought that maybe you were…"

"That maybe I was what?" Minako was still glaring at him. That didn't seem right to Yosuke. After all, wasn't he the one who had been wronged, here?

In a firmer, more certain voice, he continued, "I thought you might be covering for someone."

"Oh." That seemed to take Minako by surprise. "That's, um…who did you think I was covering for?"

Yosuke stood his ground. "I don't know. Who are you covering for?"

"I'm not! I mean, nobody!" Minako was adamant.

They both stopped and took a breath, apparently at an impasse. Even as Yosuke started to prepare a new line of questioning, he heard an arch little laugh feminine laugh coming from Akihiko's room. He and Minako both turned towards the sound, and he saw the pained look come back into Minako's eyes. All of a sudden, the situation made a bit more sense to him.

"There's someone in there with him, isn't there?" he asked.

Minako just nodded.

"Oh." Yosuke sighed. "Yeah, that's hard."

Shoving his now wet handkerchief into her pocket, Minako got to her feet.

"Hey, that's-!" began Yosuke.

"I'll wash it for you," she promised. "Thank you. I don't want to give you back a wet, dirty handkerchief. Look, I want to explain the stuff I said before, I think you need to know the truth about-!"

Again, the laugh came from Akihiko's room, this time accompanied by a masculine murmur. Minako winced, and Yosuke saw the tears beginning to well up again in her eyes.

Hastily, he said, "you know what, keep the handkerchief. It's not actually mine anyway, it's from work. You, um…you can tell me later. Okay? Tomorrow. I'll meet you tomorrow at Iori-san's house, and we can talk about it there."

"Not there," muttered Minako.

"Okay, then, Junes. Tomorrow night. Just…I think maybe now's not the time." He tried to smile kindly at her. The back of his mind was screaming that there was no time like the present, that this conversation couldn't wait for anyone. The even farther, more treacherous part of his mind, however, was whispering that it didn't matter anyway. Yu was dead. That wasn't going to change, today or tomorrow. Harassing this miserable girl wasn't going to change that. Nothing could.

Minako sniffled, and tried to smile. "Thank you."

Yosuke found himself wondering how a smile would look on her . Even crying, with the tears making little sparkles at the corner of her eyes, she was undeniably cute. The blue pajamas she was wearing were a good color for her, and…belatedly, he realized that her pajama top was way too tight around the chest. He hadn't even thought to look, before, and now it was too late. She'd seen him notice.

"Oh," she murmured, and self consciously crossed her arms over her top. Yosuke felt his face burning.

"I-I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't looking. I mean, I was, but, it was an accident, I didn't mean to look. They're just there, and…oh, no, that's…" This, he thought, was only making it more embarrassing.

Minako, on the other hand, didn't seem to be paying too much attention. "Oh well," she said. "At least someone noticed."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Yosuke was now getting into totally unfamiliar territory. He remembered vaguely the time that Chie had, very briefly, gotten involved with that guy Kou, on the basketball team. When Kou had dumped her after only a few weeks, Chie had gone around moping and acting as though everyone hated her and thought she was ugly, just because this one guy had turned her down. Guys, at least, didn't act like that. They knew there was more than one fish in the sea.

"Look, I'm sure it's not you," Yosuke said to the still distraught looking Minako. "I mean, I don't know what happened, and," he added quickly, "It's none of my business, but…you're cute. I mean, you're a really pretty girl." Girls, Yosuke remembered, did not always like being called 'cute.' Sometimes they preferred to be called pretty, or beautiful. It sounded more mature, although Minako didn't look as though she could have been any older than sixteen. Still, even if she was young, she'd want to feel older, wouldn't she?

"Thanks," said Minako. "That's…that's really sweet." Reaching for the handkerchief again, she wiped her eyes and gave him a grateful smile. It really was, he had to admit, a winning, attractive smile. She should smile more often. She probably would, too, if that Akihiko guy wasn't fooling around on her. Irrationally, Yosuke felt himself getting annoyed about that. Why did he feel this way? Didn't this girl have something to do with Yu's death? He shouldn't be taking her side. She was a suspect in the case. He'd enough of Naoto's detective stories to know that the detective was not ever supposed to get attached to the suspect.

Dressed as she was, with puffy eyes and her hair tied back for bedtime, Minako was an unlikely looking femme fatale. Still, there was something about her face that stuck in the mind, Maybe it was the way she puckered her mouth when she was thinking about something, or the way that…

Yosuke cleared his throat. "Anyway. Tomorrow night, at Junes, right?"

"Yeah. I'll be there. I promise." Minako nodded. "Thank you, Hanamura-san. I won't' let you down."

"Oh, please," he insisted, even as she was walking away, "it's Yosuke." Just before she disappeared back around the co rner, Yosuke found himself wondering if he could turn that rendezvous at Junes into a chance to meet for dinner.


	2. Cupid's Crafty Arrows

**Author's Note: **Happy Valentine's Day! I love you wonderful readers all so much.:) Here's a little V-day present from me. I tried to incorporate as many of the pairings you requested as I could! This is very short, fluffy, and full of characters being silly and somewhat pointless. I did not attempt literary brilliance with this one.

For reference, this story takes place shortly after the events of **What Cannot Be Broken**, but several months before the events of **Bondswoman.** I hope you enjoy it!

**Cupid's Crafty Arrows**

Nanako and Teddie were sitting on the couch together at Junpei's long anticipated Valentine's Day party, while all of their friends milled and mingled about. Teddie was wearing a cupid costume, complete with bare chest and a pair of shimmery little wings that were somehow taped on to his back. In his hands was…well, Nanako wasn't sure entirely what it was. It looked like a hot pink toy bow and arrow.

"Um, Teddie" she asked. "What's that thing in your hands?"

Teddie winked at her. "I am sooo glad you asked, Nana-chan! This is my secret weapon, the love-machine 3000! With this little baby, I am going to shoot arrows love into the hearts of all of our boring old friends!"

Nanako wrinkled her nose. "That," she said practically, "sounds like it would hurt. Besides, even Dad always says no weapons in the house. It's dangerous."

"Nothing," said Teddie, leaning over to beam and sparkle at Nanako, "is as dangerous as my love for you."

Yosuke's hand appeared and smacked Teddie across the back of the head. "Yeah, you've got that right," he said, walking by with a plate of heart-shaped cookies in the other hand. "Hey, who made these? They taste kinda…"

"I made them," said Minako. Supported by Junpei, she navigated her way carefully around the sofa. "Well, at least, Fuuka and I made them together. Why? Aren't they any good?"

Hastily, Yosuke took a large bite of cookie, speaking around the mouthful. "Mmpff! Great!" Swallowing, he repeated, "I mean, they're really good. Interesting, uh, texture, ladies."

"Hah!" Chie arrived, pushing Yu's new wheelchair. "I've never heard Yosuke lie that well before…hey, Minako-chan, he must really like you. Poor you, huh?"

"Wait, I wasn't lying," muttered Yosuke, staring pointedly at the carpet. "I mean, these really are good cookies. And I don't like her."

Minako sighed. "That's too bad," she said. "I was hoping to give you this valentine I made for you…but I guess if you don't like me, that'd be a waste. I guess I'll just give it to Shinjiro after all."

As Minako started to leave, Junpei threw a malicious grin at Yosuke over his shoulder. Yosuke, waving his arms frantically out in front of him, went chasing after Minako, protesting."What? A valentine, for me? Aw, please? I'd love to see it…when I said that I didn't like you, I just meant that I…" His voice trailed off as they took the conversation into another room of the house.

"Wow, sorry," said Chie. "I wasn't trying to start anything. I didn't know he really did have a thing for her."

"Let's try not to talk about that," insisted Yu. "I don't think Shinjiro-san would like it very much."

"Yeah," agreed Chie, nodding. "He's kinda the jealous type, huh?" After a moment, she turned unexpectedly pink, and asked, in a slightly too-loud, voice, "so…how about you? Are you the jealous type?"

"Me?" Yu shook his head. "I try not to be. Why?"

"Oh, uh, no reason. I was just wondering," insisted Chie, "if it would bother you, you know, if I gave Valentine's day chocolate to anyone else. Other than you, I mean."

"Were you going to give them to me?" asked Yu.

From one of her jacket pockets, Chie produced a neat little package of heart-shaped chocolates, wrapped up in a bright green bow. "Well, only if you want them, of course," she mumbled.

Yu opened his mouth to say something as he accepted the candy, but was cut off before he had the opportunity. All eyes in the room focused on Naoto as she stalked slowly in, followed by a very nervous if deliriously happy looking Kanji.

"What…?" began Chie, stupefied.

"Wow, Naoto-kun," murmured Nanako. "You look…um…different!"

Naoto looked not only different, but also slightly shell-shocked. On her head was a bright blue knit hat, adorned with a single, well-placed white ribbon. It was an adorable hat, but so very different from Naoto's usual headgear of choice that even Nanako couldn't stop herself from staring.

"D-do you like it?" stammered Kanji. "I thought…the color…I mean, you like, uh, blue, so…"

Naoto had to think about that for a moment. "Finally, she said, very carefully, "it is pleasant, every now and then, to try something new and different. Perhaps this new…wardrobe adjustment will expand my horizons as a person." For all of that, she didn't look convinced.

Kanji, on the other hand, grinned so wide that it looked as though the smile might break the confines of his face. "I'm so happy," he said. "I'm so happy you like it. You look really, uh…cute." Saying that, he blushed and bit his lip.

"It is rare that anyone refers to me as 'cute,'" murmured Naoto. "I'm never quite sure what to make of that particular choice of adjective."

"Well I think it looks really good on you," said Yukiko, walking out of the kitchen also carrying one of Fuuka and Minako's heart shaped cookies. "You should have seen Kanji. It wasn't finished by last night, and he was up sewing all night long, just to make sure that it was finished in time for Valentine 's day! Isn't that sweet? I wish I had a man who would do something like for me…" She sighed wistfully.

"If I were you," remarked Mitsuru dryly, accompanying her out of the kitchen, "I wouldn't wait around for a man to show up. In my experience, it's usually up to the women to do most of the difficult jobs. Of course, it's tres magnifique if a man just happens to throw himself with a bouquet of red roses at your feet, but they so rarely seem to be able to take the initiative."

"Or maybe," suggested Yukiko, giggling, "they're just intimidated by you. After all, you are a pretty impressive woman. Aren't you the heir to the Kirijo corporation? You're beautiful, intelligent, you've got a wealthy, influential family...I bet stuff like that can be really scary for a guy who's trying to figure out if it's time to 'make his move.'"

"Excuses, excuses," murmured Mitsuru. "Besides, I don't remember saying that I was interested in male attentions."

"No?" Suddenly, Yukiko looked slightly awkward. She didn't' seem to be able to figure out what to do with her hands. "So you, um…you don't want a boyfriend, then? Does that mean that…"

Teddie leaned over and put a hand on Nanako's shoulder. "I think it's time," he whispered excitedly. "Time for me to try firing my first love shaft! So, who shall it be? I'll let you choose, Nana-chan. Maybe I should try to hit Yosuke first. That'd serve him right for bopping me on my poor little beary head like that…"

Nanako shook her head at him. "I don't' think you have to shoot at anybody," she remarked. "Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun as it is!"

From the direction in which he and Minako had left, Yosuke stumbled back into the room, holding his stomach and looking slightly green. Staggering over to Yu's chair, he leaned against the armrest, breathing dramatically.

Yu leaned away from him. "You're not going to be sick, are you?" he asked. "I just cleaned this…"

"No…I just…" Yosuke shook his head, then looked as though he wished he hadn't. "I just ate all the cookies. Every last cookie on the plate…I kinda wish I could throw up."

"Every single cookie?" Chie looked surprised. "But I thought you said-!"

"Yeah," agreed Yosuke. "Jeez. The things we do for love."


	3. A House Doesn't Make a Home

Author's Note:This is for FlowerChild777, and readers of "What Cannot Be Broken," because this was a scene that I wasn't able to include in that story, but that several people expressed interest in. Your wish is my command!

This takes place mere hours after the ending of "What Cannot Be Broken."

A House Doesn't Make a Home

Ryotaro Dojima watched the second hand ticking slowly forward on the wall clock. It had been almost two hours since Nanako had left the house, saying that she was going to meet up with her friends at Junes. Dojima knew that he shouldn't be worried, and that Nanako often went off after school or during the break with Mei-can or Reiko-chan, or whichever other little girls happened to be the flavor of this week's friendship. Still, in light of recent events, he hated having her out of his sight. What if something were to happen? No one, perhaps, knew better than Dojima that especially at times when things seemed peaceful, danger and disaster were lurking around every corner.

Once upon a time, he thought, a magical time that seemed so far in the past, he had been a part of a family. He'd had his beautiful wife, Chisato, and his delightful little daughter Nanako. The whole future had been laid out in front of the three of them. They had been so happy together. Looking back on it, he didn't' think he'd ever appreciated that happiness enough while he'd had it. Once it was gone, it was too late, and a waste of time to think of how good things had been.

Then, not too long ago, he'd realized for the first time since the death of his wife that it was possible to have a family again. Yu Narukami, his sister's son, had come unexpectedly into their lives, and Dojima had expected Yu to leave the way he'd come, as a footnote to Dojima's otherwise unreasonably busy schedule. Instead, although no one would ever replace Chisato, Yu had become the missing part of their lives that finally brought Dojima and Nanako back together, and had turned a house that once been just a lived-in shell into a warm, companionable home.

Even after Yu had left to go back to his parents, Dojima had known that things would never be exactly the same. He and Nanako were talking again, spending time together the way they'd used to, and they both, in unspoken agreement, were waiting anxiously for the day when Yu would come back to spend the vacation with them. Yu would always, Dojima had known, be a part of their family, a necessary part that would sometimes simply have to spend time away for awhile. It only gave him and Nanako something more to look forward to together.

Then, of course, just when Dojima had finally let down his guard just enough to be truly enjoying his life, the blow had fallen, just the way it had done when Chisato had died in the car accident so many years before. One night, not too long after arriving at the Dojima residence for the winter vacation, Yu had died quietly in his sleep, of what the doctor's continued to refer to as unknown causes. For the second time, after such a short respite of joy and relief, Nanako and Dojima were again living in a broken, grief-stricken home.

Tick, Tick, Tick went the second hand on the clock. Dojima slumped down on the sofa and stared at the floor. People so often said things to him, like, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" and "It'll get easier as time goes by." That, he know, was all crap. The second time was worse. The second loss was even harder. Yu hadn't even been eighteen years old.

Suddenly, interrupting his despairing reflections, the front door began to rattle, as though someone was trying to push it open. His first, instinctive detective's reaction was to reach for his gun. Before he could do so, however, Nanako's voice came through from the other side of the door. "Dad? Hey, dad? I need help!"

Dojima moved. He was at the door in an instant, and was calling, "Nanako? What's wrong? I'm coming!" Pulling the door open, he shoved his body into the doorway and leveled his gun at whoever it was that Nanako needed to be saved from.

Nanako was struggling to get the key into the lock. Behind her stood two of Yu's old friends, Yosuke and Kanji. They were holding someone up, supporting someone between them, someone who was slowly raising his head to look directly into Dojima's eyes.

It was Yu.

"Wha…?" Dojima felt his mouth moving slowly, as his brain raced to try to catch up with his eyes. It can't be, he thought. It's impossible. I'm hallucinating. It's all been too much for me, and I've finally lost my mind. What will Nanako do now, now that her father's gone and cracked up?

"Um, Dojima-san," began Yosuke. "This, uh…"

"Hi," said Yu.

Dojima's feet were moving before he even realized that he'd given them the order. He wasn't a physically demonstrative man. He never had been, not even when Nanako had been little, and Chisato had still be a part of their lives. Emotions could so easily be taken by others as weakness, and looking weak would make him less of an authority figure, less able to do his job.

That was probably why Yu looked so surprised when Dojima suddenly embraced him in a fatherly bear-hug that sent Kanji and Yosuke stepping quickly backwards and out of the way.

"I don't…I don't understand," Dojima managed. "I saw you die. I was there in the hospital when they…when they signed the papers. This has to be a dream."

"Dad?" Nanako walked over and peered up wards into his face. "Dad, are you crying?"

"No," muttered Dojima, as a big, less-than-manly tear fell down from his eye and hit the front step with a splash. "Course not. Come here, Nanako." He moved his arm to let her in on the hug. The three of them stood there together for a moment in silence. Then, Dojima heard Nanako begin to sniffle.

"What…hey," he said, "don't you start crying too. What are we all so sad about? This is…this is amazing." He laughed, and it came out sounded like a cross between a chuckle and a sob.

"Come on, Nanako-chan," murmured Yu. "If and uncle Dojima both start sniffling, you'll have me doing it too."

Dojima heard Yosuke say something to Kanji, something that sounded like "Um…I have no idea how we are going to explain this to Dojima-san."

"Who cares?" asked Kanji. "Doesn't look like it really matters, right? Come on. Let's go."


End file.
